Swede hits the mark in boxing

MALIN Kirjonen’s parents are used to receiving phone calls from halfway around the world – their daughter on the line with news of her latest excursion into the unknown.

To date, the Swedish 23-year-old’s activities have included operating speedboat rides in the US and being a tourist guide in Spain.

Even by her own admission, however, her latest adventure dwarfs them all on the scale of impulsiveness.

After nine months in the sport of boxing, she will fight this weekend for her first professional national title.

It would be an understatement to say Kirjonen has enjoyed a quick ascension through the ranks.

After linking with Caloundra-based trainer Bob Stimpson in the middle of last year – originally signing up for a boxercise classes in an effort to stay in shape – she captured the amateur Australian Global Welterweight title after just six fights.

Even if she defeats Diana Prazak for the vacant Australian junior welterweight title at Melbourne’s Flemington race course on Sunday afternoon, there is no guarantee she will defend her crown.

She will be forced to return home when her student visa expires soon and will have one more fight following this weekend’s bout.

Whether she returns to Australia remains to be seen – like many things in her life.

“I’ve always been very independent,” she said. “As soon as I turned 18, I went out travelling alone.

“This is the best thing I’ve done since then. It’s probably the most crazy thing, but still the smartest-best thing, you know? You can do some crazy things but not be proud of them, but this is something I can be proud of.

“After doing something like this, you feel very strong inside, like you should be doing things like this with your life.”

The bout will be her third professional fight.

She caught the eye of Prazak after defeating Latana Mundine, the cousin of Anthony Mundine, in February.

Her biggest obstacle heading into the bout will be stepping up to eight rounds. To date the most she has fought is four.

Stimpson described Kirjonen as a genuine natural and said that when she came to him as a raw novice, she already possessed the self-confidence, work ethic and attitude to be a champion.

All he had to do was teach her to box.

“She had the X-factor,” he said.

“The hands, everything was there. Plus, in her mind, she can handle the bright lights, the television, the stage. She had that bit of daredevil in her.

“She was ready-made for me. All I had to do was teach her to fight. What she’s done is nine months is great.

“As an example, there’s a boy fighting on the same program as her who has had 186 amateur fights. She had six. She’s fighting for an Australian title. He’s just fighting an ordinary fight.”